There are simply no Korean referees.
The list of referees for the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup was released. Korean names were ultimately absent. From the 2014 Brazil World Cup to 2018 Russia, 2022 Qatar and now this tournament. For an astonishing four consecutive tournaments, the count is zero.
On the 10th (Korean time), FIFA announced 170 referees for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will include 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees (VAR).
With the number of participating countries expanded to 48, the number of matches has increased significantly. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup there were 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 VAR referees. This time the number of referees increased substantially. In Korea that meant there should have been more opportunities. The result was the same. Not a single referee was selected.
FIFA said, "Referees were selected from six confederations and 50 member associations," calling it "the most comprehensive referee pool in World Cup history."
It added, "FIFA's principle is quality first. Selections were based on match management ability and consistency shown in FIFA-run competitions and various international and domestic tournaments in recent years."
Korean football's connection with the World Cup stage ended after assistant referee Jeong Hae-sang participated in the 2010 South Africa World Cup. From 2014 through this tournament, Korea has failed to send a single referee for four consecutive tournaments.
The absence of Korean referees as main referees is even more serious. The last World Cup referee from Korea was Kim Young-joo at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. The line has been broken for more than 20 years.
By contrast, other Asian countries have consistently had names on the list.
Referees from Japan, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan were included among the main referee list.
The situation is even more painful with China. China failed to qualify for the World Cup finals. Even so, referee Ma Ning was selected as a main referee. China did not stop there. One assistant referee and one VAR referee were also added to the list.
Korea has long called itself the powerhouse of Asian football. The players' competitiveness is clear. The national team has qualified for the World Cup finals 11 consecutive times. Many players compete on the international stage. Yet in the refereeing field, Korea is falling behind other Asian countries.
The problem is not simply missing from this list. The same result has repeated for four tournaments in a row, for 12 years. In that period FIFA expanded the number of referees and increased female referees. This time the tournament included two female main referees, three female assistant referees and one female VAR referee. Tori Penso of the United States and Katia García of Mexico were selected as female main referees.
Korean football has reached a stage where mere qualification for the World Cup finals is not enough. Not only players but referees must stand on the world stage. Four consecutive tournaments with zero representatives is not a coincidence. It is more of a warning that the Korea Football Association's administration and referee development system need to be reviewed.
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